Chapter 154 - Awkward Afterward

Through the buzz in her ears, Katherine hardly heard him, and her mind was unable to piece the words together. She was lost, out of control, but though she knew she should be scared, all she could think about was how good it felt. And that it was her man, her wonderful husband, that made her feel like this.

While his fingers played with her, her eyes never left him. He was such a godly creature, a feast for her eyes. Especially now when he was lost just like her, his clothes a mess, and emotions all out in the open.

"Nathaniel!" She gasped, when suddenly his hand was beneath her u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r, parting her folds to gain better access to the bundle of nerves below. His fingers hit the entrance of her tunnel, and her h.i.p.s moved on instinct, rubbing up and down his fingers. She let out a little scream, then clasped her legs around him, in fear he would move away suddenly.

He did not. Instead, she could feel now that his own body moved with her h.i.p.s, as if he would pump inside her despite the distance between them. His lids were lowered, sweat tickling down his forehead, and his slim lips parted to pant for air.

Watching with fascination, Katherine lost her rhythm, and suddenly, their h.i.p.s, brought closer by her legs around him, met in the air. He let out a hiss, while she m.o.a.n.e.d in extasy.

With jerky hands, he tried to shove her away, but her legs tightened around him, holding him in place, and with him, the hardness pressed against her middle.

"Kath -" Her name ended in a m.o.a.n when she moved against him, every muscle in his body turning hard like stone in the attempt to resist temptation. But his resolve was wavering with every up and down of her h.i.p.s. A few seconds he closed his eyes, the feelings overwhelming him. Never had he felt so good before, the blood pulsing excitedly through his veins. That was her doing, he was intoxicated by her. Then he shook his head, trying to regain control.

"End this - insanity", he growled through his teeth. If she would just stop moving, he might find the strength to push her away. Her fluids had begun to leak into his pants, wetting him, marking him as hers. As if he didn't belong to her completely yet.

He shuddered. Through her hectic movement, he knew she was near the cliff, just like him. She looked dazzling, like a siren calling for him to let go. He had to get out of their entanglement now, or he would explode right then and there. Next to her dripping hot cave, while not knowing what his magic might do.

Yet before he could act, her hands grasped his hair and pulled him down for a kiss. When her tongue swept into his mouth, sweet extasy knocked out all his senses. Both of their bodies moved in accord, shuddering, pushing, mindlessly melting together when they fell over the cliff.

Unknown to the couple on the bed, a dark mist tried to form around Nathaniel when he reached this point. However, it soon evaporated in the sphere of glittering light that surrounded them like a globe. Only when their shudders stopped and the figures parted after minutes of breathless silence, did the sphere fade away.

Katherine felt it on her whole body when the air suddenly turned tense, uncomfortable. Only moments ago, they were enjoying their night as newly-weds, but now it was like she was in bed with a stranger. The icy mask she thought to have peeled off Nathaniel's face was back, even strengthened by a dark gloom hanging in the air. Gulping, she realized that something - whatever it might be - had gone terribly wrong.

Gazing over Katherine's exhausted body, the coldness in the red eyes got more serve with every second. Then he opened his mouth, and the sharp remark was like a dagger stabbing at her. "If you want to kill yourself, don't involve me next time. Just because my magic is the way it is, it doesn't mean I appreciate hurting the ones I love."

Seeing the shock and confusion in Katherine's face, he grinded his teeth and stood up. "This is not a funny joke or anything. If you have an explanation just why you had to touch my skin, you can find me in my chambers tomorrow. It better be a good one."

Before she could as much as put her thoughts in order, he stormed out of the room. Katherine's stared after him, her mouth agape. As the shock subsided, anger slowly twisted her features, making her brows knit and her eyes blaze. Her jaw hardened when she pressed her teeth together. Through them, she hissed: "This unreasonable, frigid control freak of a man! Maybe it was my fault for kissing him, but it was on impulse, okay?! A-and didn't he like it? He even - "

She sniffed, then inhaled tremblingly. "Damn, don't you dare cry now, Katherine! Don't you dare!"

Just that, obviously, her brain wasn't working when it came to Nathaniel. In that moment it seemed to be a good idea. Now she knew that she'd wanted too much too soon. He was angry again. The fact that she had only herself to blame made her even more furious.

.

Nathaniel didn't have a long way back to his chambers. To be precise, they were just next door. Else, it would have been humiliating to walk there in night clothes with an unmistakable wet spot on his trousers that slowly turned to pale white. Though it was not the nightmarish ending that sometimes awakened him from his dreams, it was also far worse than what it could be for a normal couple. Feeling defeated, Nathaniel brushed some sweaty hair out of his forehead and opened the doors to his chambers.

Inside his own bedroom, he mechanically took off his clothes and cleaned himself up. With a low sound, his gloves landed on his bedside table.

Through the wall, he could hear Katherine's agitated voice, though he couldn't hear the exact words. Well, he could still imagine it. His mood turned even darker while he put on fresh sleeping clothes.

Maybe it was because she hadn't seen it herself yet, but she seemed to take his magic too lightly, or overestimate his control over it. He knew that he shouldn't be this angry at her for forgetting her promise in the heat of the moment - he himself had been unable to back away in time - but he still felt betrayed. She was one of the few people he trusted, so why did she always have to go against his will?!

Well, it wasn't only her that went against the strict rules he lived by though. Few months back he would have never agreed to meet with a Lady, much less touch her or let himself be seduced by the softness of her skin. He would have rejected her advances without a second thought.

"I've gotten weak", he grumbled. Especially since, despite her wrongdoings, he was a lot angrier at himself than he was at her. He should have protected her better, should have stayed further away the more he felt for her. He surely shouldn't have followed her invitation to her bed. Even if she choose that path willingly, he didn't want to be the reason for her demise.

The image of a woman, her face eaten by a dark matter until her skull smiled down at him, haunted him. It was not completely an imagination, but a memory of the very real deeds his magic power could and would do to the ones he loved. Neither Nathaniel nor Katherine slept well that night.